Technical Field
The present invention relates to a vehicle sun visor.
Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open (JP-A) No. 2009-214638 discloses a sun visor structure. Specifically, the sun visor is configured by a light-blocking plate formed in a substantially rectangular plate shape as seen in a vehicle side view and having a base end portion inclined inward in the vehicle width direction. The light-blocking plate is attached to a vehicle width direction outside surface of a head rest disposed on the vehicle upper side of a vehicle seat via a shaft portion that is disposed in the base end portion and whose axial direction coincides with the substantially vehicle width direction. Consequently, when using the sun visor, one rotates the light-blocking plate about the shaft portion so that a lengthwise direction distal end portion of the light-blocking plate is positioned on the vehicle front side, so the light-blocking plate is placed on the vehicle width direction outer side of a head of an occupant seated in the vehicle seat—that is, on one side of the occupant. Because of this, light striking the head of the occupant facing the vehicle forward direction from a side window on the side where the sun visor is disposed is blocked. Furthermore, when not using the sun visor, one rotates the distal end portion of the light-blocking plate toward the vehicle rear side, so the light-blocking plate is stored in a position along a vehicle rear side surface of the head rest. Because of this, when the sun visor is not used, the light-blocking plate does not get in the way and does not lower the quality of how the vehicle seat looks from the outside.
In this connection, when the angle of the seat back of the vehicle seat is changed by reclining the seat back, for example, the position of the head of the seated occupant also changes. For this reason, the position of the light whose glare is felt by the occupant also changes, and depending on the position of the head of the occupant there is the potential for the aforementioned sun visor disposed on the vehicle width direction outer side of the head rest and for typical sun visors disposed on the upper side of the front window glass in the cabin to be unable to sufficiently block the light striking the occupant. Particularly when a self-driving vehicle is driving itself, it is also possible for the occupant seated in the vehicle seat to change the orientation of the vehicle seat while the vehicle is traveling, so that the vehicle seat faces inward in the vehicle width direction or faces the vehicle rearward direction. For this reason, there are cases where the head (eyes) is positioned in a position outside the range in which the light can be blocked by the sun visor that blocks light on the assumption that the occupant faces the vehicle forward direction. In this case, there is the potential for the blocking of light with respect to the occupant to be insufficient. Consequently, the prior art described above has room for improvement.